Introduction
Angada informs Sampaati of their plight in searching for Seetha. As a part of it, he also details the plight of Rama. He explains that Seetha is unseen even after their meticulous search, thereof they transgressed the order of Sugreeva, thereby they did not return to Kishkindha, and therefore they resorted to fast-unto-death.
Verse 1
शोकात् भ्रष्ट स्वरम् अपि श्रुत्वा ते हरि यूथपाः |
श्रद्दधुः न एव तत् वाक्यम् कर्मणा तस्य शन्किताः || ४-५७-१
Though Sampaati’s voice is turned husky by his sadness for the demise of his brother Jataayu, the monkey commanders doubtingly disbelieved neither him nor even his words by the fact of his being an eagle intending to kill and eat up all the monkeys. [4-57-1]
1. hari yuuthapaaH = monkey, commanders; shokaat bhraSTa svaram api = by sadness, spoiled [husky,] voiced, though; tat vaakyam shrutvaa = that, word [of Sampaati,] on hearing; but; tasya karmaNaa shankitaaH = by his [Sampaati’s,] deed – fact [as a powerful eagle,] doubting; na eva shraddadhuH = not, even, believed – disbelieved Sampaati.
Verse 2
ते प्रायम् उपविष्टाः तु दृष्ट्वा गृध्रम् प्लवंगमाः |
चक्रुः बुद्धिम् तदा रौद्राम् सर्वान् नः भक्षयिष्यति || ४-५७-२
On seeing the eagle those fly-jumpers who sat for fast-unto-death have become furious at the eagle thinking that, “that eagle wishes to eat up all of us…” Thus, the monkeys deliberated the eagle’s words. [4-57-2]
2. praayam upaviSTaaH = for fast-unto-death, those who sat on; te plavamgamaaH = those, fly-jumpers; gR^idhram dR^iSTvaa = eagle, on seeing; tadaa = then; naH sarvaan bhakSayiSyati = us, all of us, it wishes to eat; thinking so; raudraam buddhim cakruH = furious, thinking, they made – they are furious at eagle.
Verse 3
सर्वथा प्रायम् आसीनान् यदि नः भक्षयिष्यति |
कृत कृत्या भविष्यामः क्षिप्रम् सिद्धिम् इतो गताः || ४-५७-३
“We are sitting for fast-unto-death and if that eagle wishes eat us let it be so… then our deliverance will be achieved in anyway and we will go to heaven from here…” Thus, some other monkeys gave thought to lower that eagle down. [4-57-3]
3. praayam aasiinaan = for fast-unto-death, we who sit with; naH bhakSayiSyati yadi = us, it wishes to eat, if; itaH kSipram siddhim gataaH = from here, quickly, deliverance, on going into – on getting; sarvathaa kR^ita kR^ityaa bhaviSyaamaH = anywise, achieved, with achievement, we will be – our ends will be achieved.
Verse 4
एताम् बुद्धिम् ततः चक्रुः सर्वे ते हरि यूथपाः |
अवतार्य गिरेः शृंगात् गृध्रम् आह अंगदः तदा || ४-५७-४
When all of the monkey chiefs made up their mind in this way, then some of them on going to the mountaintop brought that eagle down, and then Angada spoke to the eagle. [4-57-4]
4. tataH = then; te sarve hari yuuthapaaH = they, all, monkey, chiefs; etaam buddhim cakruH = this kind of, thinking, they made; gR^idhram gireH shR^ingaat = eagle from mountain’s, top; avataarya = brought down; tadaa angadaH = then, Angada; aaha = spoke to it.
Verse 5 & 6
बभूवुः ऋक्षरजो नाम वानरेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् |
मम आर्यः पार्थिवः पक्षिन् धार्मिकौ तस्य च आत्मजौ || ४-५७-५
सुग्रीवः चैव वली च पुत्रौ घन बलौ उभौ |
लोके विश्रुत कर्मा अभूत् राजा वाली पिता मम || ४-५७-६
“Oh, bird, my noble grandfather is known as Rikshaja who was a valorous and an outstanding monkey among all monkeys, was the king of monkeys. He has two generous and great mighty sons namely Vali and Sugreeva. My father Vali was highly renowned in the world for his bold acts, and he became the king later to my grandfather… [4-57-5, 6]
5, 6: pakSin = oh, bird; prataapavaan = valorous one; vaanarendraH = among monkeys, outstanding one; mama aaryaH = to me, noble [my grandfather]; R^ikSarajaH naama = Rikshaja, known as; paarthivaH babhuuvuH = king, was there; ghana balau = greatly, mighty ones; ubhau = both; sugriivaH caiva valii ca = Sugreeva, also thus, Vali, also; tasya = his; dhaarmikau = generous ones; aatmajau putrau = own, sons; mama pitaa vaalii = my, father, Vali; loke vishruta karma = in world, highly renowned, [bold] acts; raajaa abhuut = king, he became.
Verse 7 & 8
राजा कृत्स्नस्य जगतः इक्ष्वाकूणाम् महारथः |
रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान् प्रविष्टो दण्डका वनम् || ४-५७-७
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या च अपि भार्यया |
पितुः निदेश निरतो धर्मम् पन्थानम् आश्रितः || ४-५७-८
“Among Ikshvaku-s there is a great-charioteer, a king for the entire world, a peerless person, and he is the son of Dasharatha, namely Rama, and abiding by his father’s directives and opting for righteous course of conduct, he moved into Dandaka forests along with his brother Lakshmana and even with his wife Vaidehi… [4-57-7, 8]
7, 8: ikSvaakuuNaam = among Ikshvaku-s; mahaarathaH = great-charioteer; kR^itsnasya jagataH raajaa = for entire, world, king; shriimaan = peerless person; daasharathiH = Dasharatha’s, son; raamaH = Rama; pituH nidesha nirataH = father’s, directives, abides by; dharmam panthaanam aashritaH = righteous, course of conduct, opting for; bhraatraa lakSmaNena saha = brother, Lakshmana, along with; bhaaryayaa vaidehyaa ca api = wife, Vaidehi, also, even; daNDakaa vanam praviSTaH = Dandaka, forest, moved into.
Verse 9 & 10a
तस्य भार्या जनस्थानात् रावणेन हृता बलात् |
रामस्य च पितुः मित्रम् जटायुः नाम गृध्र राट् || ४-५७-९
ददर्श सीताम् वैदेहीम् ह्रियमाणाम् विहायसा |
“Ravana forcibly abducted his wife from Janasthaana, namely Seetha, the princess from Videha kingdom, and a kingly eagle named Jataayu, who is a friend of Rama’s father Dasharatha, has seen her while she was being abducted by skyway. [4-57-9, 10a]
9, 10a: tasya bhaaryaa = his, wife; janasthaanaat raavaNena = from Janasthaana, by Ravana; balaat hR^itaa = forcibly, is abducted; raamasya pituH mitram = Rama’s, father’s, friend; jaTaayuH naama gR^idhra raaT = Jataayu, named, eagle, king; vihaayasaa = by skyway; hriyamaaNaam vaidehiim siitaam = being abducted, princess from Videha kingdom; at Seetha; dadarsha = saw.
Verse 10b & c
रावणम् विरथम् कृत्वा स्थापयित्वा च मैथिलीम् |
परिश्रान्तः च वृद्धः च रावणेन हतो रणे || ४-५७-१०
“Jatayu is overly tired when he made Ravana’s chariot defective and withheld Maithili from abduction as he is senescent, then Ravana killed him in that conflict… [4-57-10b, c]
10b, c. raavaNam vi ratham kR^itvaa = Ravana is, without [defective,] chariot, on making; sthaapayitvaa ca maithiliim = on holding over, even, Maithili [from abduction]; pari shraantaH ca = overly, tired, also; vR^iddhaH ca = being old; raNe raavaNena hataH = in confrontation, by Ravana, killed.
Verse 11
एवम् गृध्रो हतः तेन रावणेन बलीयसा |
संस्कृतः च अपि रामेण गतः च गतिम् उत्तमाम् || ४-५७-११
“Thus that eagle was killed by that mighty Ravana, but solemnised by the obsequies performed by Rama, he departed on a sublime avenue to heavens… [4-57-11]
11. gR^idhraH = eagle; evam = in this way; baliiyasaa tena raavaNena hataH = by mighty, by him, by Ravana, is killed; raameNa sanskR^itaH ca api = by Rama, solemnised by [performed], obsequies, also, even; uttamaam gatim gataH = sublime, on avenue, he departed.
Verse 12 & 13
ततो मम पितृव्येण सुग्रीवेण महात्मना |
चकार राघवः सख्यम् सः अवधीत् पितरम् मम || ४-५७-१२
मम पित्रा विरुद्धो हि सुग्रीवः सचिवैः सह |
निहत्य वालिनम् रामः ततः तम् अभिषेचयत् || ४-५७-१३
“Then Raghava made friendship with my paternal uncle Sugreeva, an intellectual autocrat, and Sugreeva got my father killed. Since Sugreeva antagonised my father, my father interdicted him along with his ministers, and Rama killed my father Vali and anointed Sugreeva… [4-57-12, 13]
12, 13. tataH raaghavaH mama pitR^ivyeNa = then, Raghava, with my, paternal uncle; mahaa aatmanaa sugriiveNa sakhyam cakaara = with great-souled [intellectual autocrat,] with Sugreeva, made, friendship; saH mama pitaram avadhiit = he [Sugreeva,] my, father, got killed; sugriivaH sacivaiH saha = Sugreeva, ministers, along with; mama pitraa viruddhaH = with my, father, antagonised; so my father interdicted them; raamaH vaalinam nihatya = Rama, Vali, on killing; tataH tam abhiSecayat- then, him [Sugreeva,] is anointed.
Verse 14
स राज्ये स्थापितः तेन सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः |
राजा वानर मुख्यानाम् तेन प्रस्थापिता वयम् || ४-५७-१४
“Rama enthroned Sugreeva as the ruler of all vanara-s and that king of all vanara chiefs expedited all of us… [4-57-14]
14. tena raajye sthaapitaH = by him [by Rama,] in kingdom, established [enthroned]; vaanara iishvaraH saH sugriivaH = vanara-s’, ruler, he, that Sugreeva; vaanara mukhyaanaam raajaa = of [all] vanara, chiefs, he is the king; tena vayam prasthaapitaa = by him, we all are, expedited.
Verse 15
एवम् राम प्रयुक्ताः तु मार्गमाणाः ततः ततः |
वैदेहीम् न अधिगच्छामो रात्रौ सूर्य प्रभाम् इव || ४-५७-१५
“Though we are spearheaded by Rama and though we searched thereabouts for Vaidehi at the behest of Sugreeva, as with a nightly sunshine Vaidehi is unattainable for us… [4-57-15]
15. evam raama prayuktaaH tu = thus, by Rama, spearheaded, though; tataH tataH maargamaaNaaH = there, there, while searching; raatrau suurya prabhaam iva = in night, sun, shine, as with; vaidehiim na adhigacChaamaH = at Vaidehi, not, we attained.
Verse 16
ते वयम् दण्दकारण्यम् विचित्य सुसमाहिताः |
अज्ञानात् तु प्रविष्टाः स्म धरण्या विवृतम् बिलम् || ४-५७-१६
“Such as we were we searched Dandaka forest very meticulously, but we unwittingly entered into a wide-opened Black Hole of the earth… [4-57-16]
16. te vayam = they, we were – such as we were; su samaahitaaH = very, meticulously; daNdaka araNyam = Dandaka forest; vicitya = having searched, a j~naanaat tu = without, knowledge [unwittingly,] but; dharaNyaa vivR^itam bilam = earth’s, wide-opened, hole [Black Hole]; praviSTaaH sma = entered, we have.
Verse 17
मयस्य माया विहितम् तत् बिलम् च विचिन्वताम् |
व्यतीतः तत्र नः मासः यः राज्ञा समयः कृतः || ४-५७-१७
“During our search in that Black Hole, which was crafted by the wizardry of demon Maya, the month fixed by our king for our return has been elapsed… [4-57-17]
17. mayasya maayaa vihitam = by demon Maya’s, with wizardary, crafted; tat bilam vicinvataam = that, hole, while searching; naH = for us; yaH raaj~naa samayaH kR^itaH = which, by king, time, framed; maasaH = month; tatra vyatiitaH = in there, elapsed.
Verse 18
ते वयम् कपि राजस्य सर्वे वचन कारिणः |
कृताम् संस्थाम् अतिक्रान्ता भयात् प्रायम् उपासिताः || ४-५७-१८
“We who are all supposed to execute the order of our king, we have exceeded the established norm of timeframe, and for fear of fury from our king Sugreeva we sat down for fast-unto-death… [4-57-18]
18. kapi raajasya vacana kaariNaH = monkey, king’s, word [order,] executives [bound]; sarve te vayam = all, such as, we are; kR^itaam samsthaam ati kraantaa = made [established,] norm, over, stepped; bhayaat praayam upaasitaaH = owing to fear [from Sugreeva,] fast-unto-death, we sat down.
Verse 19
क्रुद्धे तस्मिन् तु काकुत्स्थे सुग्रीवे च स लक्ष्मणे |
गतानाम् अपि सर्वेषाम् तत्र नः न अस्ति जीवितम् || ४-५७-१९
“When Rama along with Lakshmana, and even Sugreeva will be infuriated by our infringement of time, and even on our going to Kishkindha, as infringers there will be no survival for all of us…” Thus Angada narrated their plight to Sampaati. [4-57-19]
19. tasmin kaakutsthe = that, Kakutstha Rama; sa lakSmaNe = with, Lakshmana; sugriive ca = with Sugreeva, also; kruddhe = while becoming infuriated; tatra = there [to Kishkindha]; gataanaam api = on going, even; naH sarveSaam jiivitam na asti = for us, all, survival, not, will be there.
